The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

At the entrance to the bathhouse, everything was ready. Two men in their thirties, Ryan and Alfred, stood shirtless, each wrapped in a towel, preparing to take a hot spring bath.

Strictly speaking, there were no natural hot springs beneath Ryan's ducal castle. However, the dwarves' exceptional craftsmanship and tunneling technology solved that problem. Using steam technology and mining techniques, they created an artificial hot spring.

It was said that Sulia had insisted on building the hot spring after hearing about its health benefits. At that time, Ryan was away on a campaign, and all matters, big and small, were left to Sulia. Naturally, the hot spring was built.

At the door, a golden basin was placed, with water flowing from an exquisite dwarf-made faucet, the sound of water splashing filling the entrance.

Alfred was puzzled. He approached the basin and muttered, "I get it, but why is there a golden basin with water at the entrance?"

"It's probably a symbolic gesture," Ryan laughed. He reached out and washed his hands in the basin. "Washing our hands, Alfred. Remember, don't be a 'bad guy' anymore."

"Bad guy?" Alfred didn't quite understand, but he didn't mind. Seeing Ryan wash his hands, he mimicked him. "Alright! No more being a bad guy!"

The hot spring water was ready. In the tiled bathhouse, the air was thick with steam. Ryan and Alfred tested the water temperature and, finding it just right, immersed themselves in the hot spring.

"Ah, this is great!" Alfred sighed with satisfaction. His body, marked with scars, told the tale of many years of training and battles. His back bore many burn marks, a testament to the price he paid during the assault on Mousilon Castle.

Similarly, Ryan's streamlined muscles were also covered in scars. From the moment he left Ottenne and his warm foster father's castle, he had endured countless hardships. This campaign had added many new scars to his body, including those left by Carlos under Tzeentch, Landoin, and Matthew Bard.

These were his badges of honor.

"Hey, Alfred, looking good!" Ryan submerged himself in the water, placing a towel on his head. "I heard Sir Alfred performed valiantly in the liberation of Mousilon?"

"Of course!" Alfred boasted, raising a thumb and pointing at himself. "I was super brave!"

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad. Your shoulders are quite solid." Ryan reached out and squeezed Alfred's shoulder.

"Ryan, what are you doing!" Alfred felt Ryan was teasing him. He grabbed Ryan by the neck, his arm muscles tightening. "Hey, future Knight King, taste this, the ultimate wrestling move, Alfred's secret technique!"

"Whoa!" Ryan, pushed into the water, got a face full of hot spring water. He yelled, breaking free from Alfred's hold, and turned to lock Alfred's arm, making him choke on some water too. "Feel my beastly strength! The King's path!"

"Hahahaha~"

"Hahahahahahaha~"

Laughter and the sound of splashing water filled the bathhouse.

After fooling around for a while, the two men, in their thirties, calmed down. Leaning back against the bath, Ryan suddenly became interested. "Alfred, haven't you thought about finding a girlfriend? You're the Templar now."

"I don't know." Alfred's forehead was sweaty. He leaned against the side of the hot spring, sighing. "I just don't feel confident."

Ryan couldn't stop laughing. He scooped some water and splashed it on Alfred's face. "What's there to be unconfident about? Alfred, if you go to Estalia now, I doubt Miss Claudia would refuse you again."

"But then, I wouldn't know if she wants Alfred or a Templar with his own territory." Alfred nodded, sounding hesitant. "What if she's just after my status and money?"

"Heh, think of it this way. You're looking for a girlfriend, not a wife." Ryan smirked. "If she just wants to have fun, you can do the same. After all, isn't everything clearly priced?"

"If I just wanted to have fun, why not spend a silver coin to find a Leonese woman in town? There are quite a few around now, my friend. For a silver coin, you can get a decent one. Why look for a girlfriend?" Alfred muttered.

Ryan looked genuinely moved, his face sincere and excited. "Alfred! You finally understand! You truly are my good brother!"

"???" Alfred was first confused, then a bit angry. He splashed water at Ryan's face. "Oh, so this is what you're really like, Ryan!"

"Splah~" The hot spring water splashed on Ryan's face. Laughing, he dodged and said to Alfred, "It's simple. Once you get it, there's nothing more to say. For now, find any girlfriend, but be cautious about marriage."

Ryan's implication was clear: either find true love or someone who can help with your career.

As for Claudia, Ryan thought she wasn't Alfred's true love, just a passing fancy.

In fact, as Ryan said, it's not unheard of for maidservants to marry into great noble families, but successful cases are rare. Most often, they are played with and discarded without even becoming a courtier.

Finding an ideal match wasn't easy. Strictly speaking, Ryan was chosen by Sulia's family, a political marriage that developed into mutual affection over time, making it a successful union.

Typically, noble generals' wives fall into two categories: true loves who followed them from their humble beginnings or political marriages that aid their careers.

Alfred lacked the former, so Ryan suggested the latter. Of course, Ryan's underlying message was that he would support Alfred's choice, as both his superior and childhood friend.

"Speaking of which, my friend," Alfred understood Ryan's point and wanted to change the topic. "Your reforms, are you planning to model them after the Empire? Establish a complete bureaucratic system like the Elector Counts to replace the current feudal system?"

"No way!" Ryan shook his head repeatedly. "Adopting the Empire's entire bureaucratic system? The kingdom would collapse before I finished the reforms."

"Why?!" Alfred asked, puzzled.

"Think about it, Alfred. What has sustained Britannia for a thousand years?" Ryan moved his hand through the hot spring water.

"Of course, the chivalric spirit, the Holy Grail system, and the Lady of the Lake's faith." Alfred was well-versed in Britannia's history.

"Exactly." Ryan nodded, his expression becoming serious. "Alfred, consider this: if we think the Empire's system is good and we fully adopt it, discarding our own, forcing our nobles to emulate the Empire, what does that mean? We would be denying everything about ourselves, our culture, our chivalric spirit, the very foundation of Britannia."

"If we do that, would the knight kingdom still be a knight kingdom?" Ryan's blue eyes glinted with something Alfred had never seen before. "If we abandon our traditions to embrace another country's culture, what happens to our pride, confidence, and strength? Is the chivalric spirit outdated or obsolete?"

"Absolutely not. The chivalric spirit has proven to be a continuation of human virtues and willpower, a faith that won't be discarded despite time." Alfred became serious.

"Blindly copying is not the way. If we only see the Empire's advantages and Britannia's shortcomings, and copy everything, we will always conclude that the Empire is better and we are worse. Over time, our people will lose faith, our nobles will lose confidence. We will abandon our chivalric spirit and pride. What awaits us is destruction." Ryan sighed. "Militarily speaking, Alfred, do you know how disastrous it would be if all our nobles stopped training new knights and squires?"

"I understand." Alfred sighed. "I've been too simplistic."

"So, we must reform, but not blindly copy. We must retain our characteristics, our faith, considering our national conditions, creating a new knight kingdom with Britannia's unique features." Ryan nodded, sighing. "Our tradition is swift, heavy cavalry and knights! It's the fearsome Grail Knights and the spirit of helping the Empire in times of need!"

"Just because the Empire's system is advanced, because their gunpowder is powerful, we belittle ourselves and devalue everything about us. That's the real mistake." Ryan said softly. "We need change, but some things must be preserved and even promoted!"

"Ryan, you're no longer the Nord." Alfred laughed meaningfully. "You have that authority."

"Yes, I have it. I can change this country." Ryan took the towel off his head, wiping his face. "But how can I ensure my reforms continue? How can I ensure my successors won't revert them? History is full of cases where policies died with their proponents."

The Templar didn't speak.

"If I become the Knight King and do nothing like Richard, the kingdom might survive." Ryan continued. "But that's pointless. Why be king if I compromise on everything? On the other hand, to make real changes, I must use power and challenge vested interests. Perhaps due to my prestige, people won't oppose me openly, but they will act behind the scenes. How can I ensure my reforms and systems endure after my rule ends?"

"That's the paradox. Doing things offends people; not offending means doing nothing." Alfred had experienced this firsthand. "The Church of Justice is the same. Archbishop Vikmar, two High Priests, then Cardinals, Primates, Archbishops, and a hierarchy of

 a dozen ranks. Any attempt to change steps on toes. That's why the fervent warrior-priest Luthor Huss almost got excommunicated for raising issues. Vikmar had to intervene to save him."

"Exactly." Ryan continued. "So, success in change depends on gaining most nobles' and vested interests' recognition. Who are my greatest supporters?"

"Obviously, the Southern faction led by Duke François and Duke Bodrick." Alfred replied.

"Wrong! It's the church and merchants!" Ryan laughed heartily, then leaned back in the bath. "On the contrary, it's the knight nobles who support Louen! The church's and merchants' firm support is why I've won most of the time. So, those advising me to cut the church's cake, especially the Lady of the Lake's, are either foolish or malicious!"

"Victory by 2:1!" Alfred, thinking carefully, found himself speechless before his childhood friend. "Indeed, Duke François has many ideas, but everything has become led by you. You are the Lady's chosen champion, highly honored, loved by the Lady, and trusted by Morgiana. Naturally, the church also supports you."

"Thus, change has a foundation. As long as the nobles benefit sufficiently during the bureaucratic reforms while maintaining the kingdom's traditions, why would they oppose? Why should they?" Ryan laughed heartily. "That's the essence of ensuring reforms continue, not relying solely on personal prestige to fight vested interests!"

"I understand now." Alfred smiled wryly. "You used me as a model? But if we keep the knight tradition, what about infantry? Without strong infantry support, knights alone can't win wars. With limited resources, how do we build a strong infantry?"

"That's why we fight Blackstone Stronghold and Mousilon." Ryan nodded. "A stable kingdom without internal and external threats, a new duchy, a new commercial and industrial center. The gap between nobles and serfs, opened by me, must be widened. I must make all knights realize that if they don't work hard, they too can become serfs!"

"At the same time, I must make all serfs realize that hard work can make them knights! Those refined through battles, tempered by blood and fire, will become the elite infantry! Breaking class barriers, they are my future loyal followers!"

"You mean?" Alfred linked this to Ryan's recent actions.

"Yes, starting with the Old Guard!"

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] 

[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]

[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter]